Cyberlink DVD Suite 6.0 Ultra provides the best support for Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD technology in the consumer market.

If you are at the cutting edge of digital video technology then Cyberlink’s latest package, Cyberlink DVD Suite 6.0 Ultra is aimed directly at you, with the top of the range Ultra version providing the best support for Blu Ray and HD DVD technology in the consumer market.

While these tools vary in usefulness and quality, the core of Cyberlink DVD Suite 6.0 Ultra is the PowerDVD 7.3 application, which allows you to play back both Blu-ray and HD DVD footage on your computer. It does an excellent job of optimising these formats for viewing on a PC, which is ideal if you work with or watch them regularly.

As well as supporting the latest in terms of digital video, audio support is also bang up to date, and Cyberlink DVD Suite 6.0 Ultra supports both Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD, so audio can match sound quality.

If you want to create your own discs you can use PowerDirector to edit your video and this version includes several new features including a new Magic Movie Wizard, a useful guide that helps to ease this often complex process, plus features that allow you to manually batch import DV tape footage or to output to HDV tape. You can then author them using PowerProducer, allowing you to create both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.

Cyberlink DVD Suite 6.0 Ultra is a must have for HD enthusiasts who need support for the latest in this technology. Indeed, anyone who regularly watches HD DVD or Blu-ray content will appreciate the support for these formats offered by PowerDVD. But there are other packages out there that offer equally good, if not better, tools for disc burning, ripping CDs and so on. So if HD isn’t your focus then you may get a better deal elsewhere.

New DVD playback software probably doesn't seem the most crucial of purchases, especially since most PCs come with a suitable application. Indeed, the chances are you already have a version of CyberLink PowerDVD. But CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra wins a PC Advisor Gold Award. To find out why, read our review.

CyberLink PowerDVD 10 Ultra is the most powerful and stable DVD and Blu-ray movie player available, offers an array of new features in the new version. The biggest boost, however, comes from 3D support.